Liquid crystal phase transitions in mixtures of rodlike and platelike molecules

Abstract

Model calculations are presented which indicate that the character of the nematic‐isotropic phase transition can be continuously changed from first to second order and that a new biaxial liquid crystal phase can be obtained by mixing suitable platelike and rodlike molecules. Precursors of the predicted behavior should be observable from trends in the concentration dependence of the transition temperature and the discontinuity in the order parameter.